Brass instruments Cornet Transposing instrument, notated in treble clef The cornet is identical in range to the trumpet, but has a rounder, darker tone due to its conical bore. There are two regular cornets: the Bb cornet and the Eb (or soprano) cornet, although the long cornet is still in use. The cornet in A (common in the Nineteenth century) and the alto cornet are now extinct. There is only one soprano cornet in each brass band. Originally in use in military and brass bands, the cornet joined the orchestra and gained a following in the jazz world by the Twentieth century. The most famous cornet player in history was Jean Baptiste Arban, who applied many flute techniques to the cornet, thus expanding the instrument's possibilities. In the second half of the Twentieth century the cornet was increasingly confined to the brass band, and now is rarely seen outside those ensembles. The cornets larger cousin the flï¿½gelhorn, also in Bb, is used widely in the jazz and commercial worlds as well as in brass bands.

Trombone Notated in concert pitch in (mostly) bass and tenor clefs, treble clef Bb for brass bands Like the trumpet, the trombone evolved as a fanfare instrument and is present in almost every musical ensemble available today. They were an early inclusion to wind bands, brass bands and the jazz world, having already joined the orchestra via early opera composers (who often sought to convey sad or frightening scenes with the trombone section!). They are cylindrical, point directly at the listener and change pitch by the use of a slide. Trombones with a trigger can bridge the gap between the bottom of the range and the pedal notes, creating a chromatic range over four octaves. They are often paired with their soprano cousin the trumpet, in jazz or latin bands. There is a large family of trombones, from the soprano through Eb alto and Bb tenor (the most common), to the bass and contrabass. Most orchestras have three, big bands four, and string orchestras none at all. There are various lesser-used trombones as well, including the valve trombone and the flï¿½gelbone.

In a brass band the trombones are written in treble clef Bb (except the bass trombone), but in all other ensembles they read concert pitch in either the bass or tenor clefs. French horn Transposing instrument, notated in treble clef, and bass clef for low range pre-Twentieth century The mighty french horns in an orchestra are famous for their sweeping melodies and strong sound, but began as a hunting instrument. They are longer than a trombone, wound up in coils with a wide, flared bell. They are also conical, possessing a beautiful sound that has been utilised by classical composers and filmscore writers alike. Horns have three rotary valves, unless they are a double or triple horn, in which case they can have up to five! All old horn crooks and transpositions have now been superseded. Because the modern double horn is pitched in F, it often plays a pivotal role between brass and woodwind or strings. It is also well suited to chamber work, but has never really been considered a jazz instrument.

The only other version of the horn is the mellophone, a cylindrical marching horn used in American marching bands, and a section of these were used in the Stan Kenton Big Band for many years. Wagner invented the Wagner tuba, really a larger horn and not a tuba at all, and it is played by horn players. Many other classical composers have written for this instrument, including Strauss and Bruckner. Baritone Transposing instrument, treble clef Bb The baritone is in Bb, and has three piston valves. They really only have a specific role in brass bands (with two baritone parts), but are often used interchangeably with euphoniums in concert bands. This instrument never made it into the classical world, due to its cylindrical bore and thinner sound, but occupies an important place in the tenor range of the brass family. Euphonium Can be notated in bass clef concert pitch, or treble clef Bb Often mistakenly referred to as a baritone in American bands, the euphonium has a warm, strong tone and also occupies the tenor role in brass and concert bands.

Many orchestral composers have added the euphonium to their works, often calling it a tenor tuba (Holst) or posthorn (Mahler), but the euphonium still only regularly appears in the band world. Euphoniums have three or four piston valves, and can be manufactured in a straight-out fashion (like a trumpet), as in American marching bands. In brass bands, the euphonium usually reinforces the melody or plays gentle, warm solos. There is a vast repertoire of solo euphonium music, from Victorian era classics to very modern works from around the world. Tenor horn Transposing instrument, notated in treble clef The last surviving member of the Saxhorn family (invented by Adolph Sax, the same guy who invented the saxophone), the tenor horn is in Eb and has a written range similar to that of the cornet. It provides the alto voice in a regular brass band, the only ensemble to which it now belongs. It's role is comparable to the violas in an orchestra: often unfairly relegated to the accompaniment! Most concert works will have a solo passage for the tenor horn, and their power is important in louder parts of any work.

Tuba Notated in bass clef. Treble clef Eb or Bb for brass bands The tuba is the bass end of the brass family. The modern instrument has evolved from several different ancestors, including the French bombardon and ophecleide, and the wind band serpent. Presently there are four common tubas, pitched in C or F (for use in orchestras and classical ensembles) and Eb or Bb (for use in the band world). All have a wide range and a deep, powerful sound. It is not uncommon to have four or even five valves on the tuba, usually piston valves but sometimes rotary. There is usually only one tuba in an orchestra, two or three in a concert band and four parts in a brass band (two Eb and two Bb). Long considered just a bass instrument, the Twentieth century saw an increase in the solo or concerto repertoire for the tuba. tuba | musical instrument | Britannica.com musical instrument Ralph Vaughan Williams Tuba, deep-pitched brass wind instrument with valves and wide conical bore. The word tuba originally was the name of a straight-built Roman trumpet and was the medieval Latin word for trumpet .

Valved bass brass instruments for bands are mentioned as early as 1829, but little is now known about them. In 1835 Wilhelm Wieprecht and Johann Gottfried Moritz of Berlin patented the bass tuba in F, with five valves. Subsequent designs were considerably influenced by the French contrabass saxhorn . Modern military and brass band tubas are of two sizes used together: the E♭ bass (or bombardon) and the BB♭ bass, a fourth lower. When these tubas have three valves, their lowest notes are, respectively, the A below the bass staff and the E below that. The E♭ bass generally has a fourth valve that lowers the basic pitch by a fourth to BB♭, enabling the instrument (with use of valves) to produce the low E, below which the compass can be continued downward in fundamentals (lowest note producible by a length of tubing), E♭, D, and so on. These basses are coiled vertically and held upright aslant the player’s body, with the bell pointing to the right; in the United States the bell may be turned forward.

Alternative designs, likewise in E♭ and BB♭ but encircling the body, include the circular bass, or helicon , with the bell resting across one shoulder, and the American sousaphone, with an extremely wide bell raised above the player’s head. Orchestral tubas vary in different countries. Large instruments in BB♭ or a tone higher, in C, are used in the United States and parts of Europe. The original pitch of F (a tone above the E♭ bass) is preferred in Great Britain and (with rotary rather than piston valves) in Germany. All have the fourth valve and often a fifth valve tuned to a wide semitone for facilitating good intonation in certain fingerings. French orchestras use a small C tuba pitched a fifth above the F tuba. This is a six-valved development of the earlier French bass saxhorn. The military-band euphonium normally serves as a tenor tuba. Tuba parts are written at actual pitch except in brass bands, where transposed notation allows the parts to be read with cornet fingering.

Similar Topics tuba - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The deepest-voiced (and largest) member of the brass family, the tuba is a wind instrument that was invented in Germany in the late 1820s. Unlike the trumpet and French horn, the modern tuba did not evolve from a valveless instrument. The tuba was created with a system of valves that gave it great flexibility. Its rich, deep sound is popular in both band music and orchestral compositions. In order to create the instrument’s massive sound, the player must be able to breathe large amounts of air into the tuba. (See also trumpet; wind instruments.) Article History Euphonium or Tenor Tuba – Bandestration By Bret Newton In Tuba Euphonium or Tenor Tuba As the Euphonium is almost entirely a band instrument, it has been neglected by most orchestration texts. I will try and rectify this and cover as much detail as possible. The Euphonium is one of the quintessential band instruments. Every band will have at least one Euphonium player (and possibly a whole section of them). However, its use in the orchestra is highly limited.

The name Euphonium comes from the Greek for good or sweet sound and this is a fairly accurate description of the instrument. I tend to like the name Tenor Tuba as well, as it shows the affinity of the instrument to its larger brother, Before we go on, there is one important thing to remember; Euphonium and Baritone are not synonyms for the same instrument. The Baritone Horn is a small-bore instrument in the cornet family, while the Euphonium is a large-bore instrument in the tuba family. In the band, you will be using Euphoniums and not Baritone Horns. Baritone Horns are rare visitors to the standard concert band. See the chapter on cornets for more on that instrument. In the standard orchestral literature, there are a total of four pieces that call for the Euphonium (though these scores say Tenor Tuba and not Euphonium). These are Holst’s Planets, Strauss’ Don Quixote and Ein Heldenleben, and Janacek’s Sinfonietta (which calls for two Tenor Tubas).

All of these composers use the Euphonium as a higher voice in the tuba family (except the Janacek, which utilizes them in a separate brass band). In the cases of these limited orchestral passages, the Euphonium is always written as a transposing instrument either sounding a ninth down and written in treble clef, or sounding a second down and written in the bass clef. However, this is a poor method of notation for the band (and indeed it is now considered a poor method for the orchestra). In the band, the Euphonium is always written in concert pitch and does not transpose. This is of great comfort to both composers and players as they do not have to worry about the perils of transposition. While some older Euphoniums will only possess three valves (including the famous tilted bell marching instruments), all modern Euphoniums will have four valves. However, there are two different models of four-valve Euphoniums out there. The first is a non-compensating instrument. On this instrument, the fourth valve lowers the main pitch of the instrument a perfect fourth. It has no effect on the other valves.

It works fairly well, with the exception of one note. The non-compensating Euphonium cannot play a low B-natural a semi-tone above the pedal B-flat. The second model of Euphonium is the compensating model. Here the fourth valve functions exactly the same as the trigger on the Horn and changes the whole instrument’s pitch from B-flat to F a fourth lower (so we could call this a B-flat/F Euphonium). So not only does that one valve drop the main pitch of the instrument a fourth, it also affects the other valves. This is the more complex model, but it is the one played on by professionals. The main advantage is that it is able to produce the low B-natural that the non-compensating model cannot. The moral of this story, is to be aware of the low B-natural. Amateur and student players will probably not be able to play this note, while professionals and advanced students will. Check with the player before writing this note. Traditionally, the Euphonium was considered the Cello of the band. It has a beautiful singing voice, and is one of the best solo instruments in the brass section.

In the days of Sousa, the Euphonium was featured as a soloist almost as much as cornets were. Today, its role seems to be somewhat lessened, and many composers seem to forget about the presence of this beautiful voice in our bands. So often it is scored as just another member of the “low voice” section and not given a part of its own. Look no further than the Holst Second Suite in F for one of the best examples of Euphonium scoring. The soaring melody in the last movement where a solo Euphonium sings out the melody Greensleeves is a moment not soon forgotten. Technique on the Euphonium is held to be some of the most advanced of all the brass instruments, and many trumpet or cornet solos (like the famous Carnival of Venice) are often heard on the Euphonium. Mars from Holst’s Planets. This is the major work in the literature for Tenor Tuba.

Carnival of Venice on Euphonium The Pearl Fishers Duet on two Euphoniums Share this: Mozart music notation software | transposing instruments ' Transposing instrument ' is simply a short-hand term for an instrument whose standard written music is shown at a different pitch from that at which it sounds. That's all! But in view of the very real confusion they can sometimes cause, we'd better say some more. The details below include tables of transpositions of some of the more common instruments, and to emphasise the simple utility of the 'transposing instrument' convention, the woodwind will be presented first. But before that, some general considerations. Why transposing instruments? Well they may be quite inconvenient for the composer or arranger, but that is completely outweighed by the fact that they are incredibly convenient for the player. The history of the clarinet (see clarinets) gives some clues. They were once built in many different sizes, so that one could be chosen to match its natural scale to a piece in any given key. Had they not been treated as transposing instruments the fingering of any written note, a C say, would have been completely different on all the clarinets.

A player might have coped with a couple of them in closely related keys, but six or eight in entirely different keys? Modern key-work has made many of the 'normal-sized' clarinets redundant, but also allows the construction of much larger bass and contrabass instruments. The transposing instrument convention means that clarinet players can play the whole family, with only embouchure problems to worry about, and no fingering difficulties at all. Saxophonists can play all saxophones and flautists can play all flutes. What's in a name? Names of transposing instruments define the note which sounds when the player reads a C on the music. For example when the player of a B clarinet (a typical 'transposing instrument') reads a C, he sounds a B , and it will sound in tune with a violinist who is both reading and playing a B (as the violin is not a transposing instrument). When the player of an A-clarinet reads a C, he will sound an A. and so on.

The instrument names can also hint at the octave: a B clarinet sounds a tone lower than its written music; a B bass clarinet sounds an octave and a tone lower than its music is written; a B contrabass clarinet sounds two octaves and a tone lower than its music is written. But sometimes the composer or arranger just has to know: a piccolo sounds an octave higher than its music is written; and a guitar sounds an octave lower than the music is written, with no real clues in the name. Important: Remember that 'transposing instrument' is (confusingly) not a description of the instrument but rather of its written music convention. There is nothing 'B-flatty' about a B clarinet, and nothing 'effy' about a cor anglais; it's just the way their music is set down for the convenience of the players! This is particularly important when considering instruments with more than one standard convention for the written music (there are only a few). Sometimes an instrument has to be regarded as a 'transposing instrument' when reading music written with one convention and as a 'non-transposing instrument' when reading music written with another. Trombones and tenor voice are cases in point (see below).

Schizophrenia can be avoided, as long as one remembers 'transposing instrument' describes the music, and not the instrument itself. Octave transposing instruments Instruments which sound exactly an octave different from their written music, are included in the category 'transposing instruments'. They are just a special case, and there are quite a lot of them. They include: piccolo, double bass, guitar, bass flute, contrabassoon, C-melody sax, heckelphone, tenor voice, and descant and bass recorders (but see below for a discussion of recorders). Clefs Almost all transposing instruments other than those where the transposition is an octave read solely from the treble clef. The most prominent exception is the French Horn in F which can read from both treble and bass clef. A number of the octave transposing instruments read from bass clef, and, unusually, the double bass even sometimes moves into tenor clef (still sounding an octave lower than written). Instrument families In what follows the transpositions of instruments are given, categorised by family. The accompanying tables show the instrument names, the clef(s) from which they read, and their transposition.

Nomenclature: in much of what follows the syntax used to describe transposing instruments is of the form 'B Clarinet'. The alternative form 'Clarinet in B ' is just as common and is also used in this article. Legend for the transposition tables The clefs are indicated by: =treble; the instrument sounds a major 2nd (a tone) lower than its music is written (eg B clarinet). M13 the instrument sounds a major 13th (an octave and a sixth) lower than its music is written (eg baritone sax). Pictures of instruments are for general illustration only - the precise instruments illustrated may not always correspond exactly with those tabulated (although, by coincidence, they do in the case of the saxophones) Modern woodwind families Modern woodwind families provide the widest range of examples of transposing instruments. The tables below provide a list of some of the commoner members of the families in use today, as well as some of the slightly less common ones. Instrument M16 The clarinets The clarinet was invented by Johann Denner in about 1700.

It rapidly became clear that the kinds of cross fingerings used to get (eg) B or G on a recorder, produced an unacceptably muffled tone on a clarinet. Clarinets were therefore built in a variety of sizes, so that one could be used whose natural scale fitted with the key of the piece being played, removing the need for too many cross-fingerings. By about the 1830s, the technology was available for reliable construction of the systems of keys, springs, and pads we see on modern clarinets. (The 'Boehm system' - named after the man who had recently developed the key-work on the flute.) These largely eliminated cross-fingerings, and most 'normal-sized' clarinets fell out of use, leaving the B and A clarinets used in symphony orchestras today. However the same technology meant that keys could operate pads on distant holes, and so instruments were no longer constrained by the size of the human hand. The family grew with the addition of larger members which are now standardised as E -alto, B -contralto (or contra-alto), B -contrabass.

It is worth emphasising again that the same written note is fingered in exactly the same way on all the clarinets tabulated! [An exception is that some older bass clarinet parts are written in the bass clef sounding a tone lower than written, the so-called 'German notation'. Blatter (see bibliography below) makes it clear that this notation is obsolete, and not recommended.] The saxophones The saxophone was invented by Adolph Sax in about 1841, the time when the established woodwind families were being developed with more key work, and augmented by the larger family members which this allowed. Sax was reputedly looking for a woodwind bass instrument with a bit more 'oomph' than the bassoon, to balance the brass in military bands, and started by putting a bass clarinet mouthpiece on an ophecleide. The saxophone family is unusual in that smaller members came along later. The modern family is fairly regular with members in B and E .

(The C-melody sax is now rare, but is prominent in 1920s and 30s jazz recordings by its premier exponent Frankie Trumbauer.) The recorders The conventions for writing music for recorders long predates the transposing instrument convention used by modern woodwind families. They do fit into the general scheme of transposing instruments, but not quite so neatly as the woodwind families above. Therefore, if there is any scope for confusion, this is the section in which to find it - you may want to skip it on first reading! Otherwise here goes. All recorders are in C. Some are at concert pitch (ie are non-transposing instruments); some transpose at the octave, and one transposes two octaves. Some recorders read from treble clef; others read from bass clef. As far as their properties as transposing instruments go, the table says it all. A note on nomenclature: 'descant recorder' = 'soprano recorder' 'treble recorder' = 'alto recorder' But now it gets complicated. Recorders do not follow the pattern of other transposing instruments.

On a clarinet you can read any note and play that note with essentially the same fingering on any member of the family. The same is true, within the families, of flutes, saxophones,... But this happy situation does not prevail with recorders. Their fingering system was developed before the modern concept of transposing instruments. There are two variables: the clef and the natural scale of the instrument. If you cover all the holes and lift each finger in turn (with minor elaborations to control tuning) you obtain the natural scale of the instrument. With modern woodwind families the natural scale is written the same for all members of a family, though it sounds different. With recorders there are two possibilities: a scale of C (both written and sounding) or a scale of F (also both written and sounding). There are therefore four cases overall: Confusion alert: recorder players will often refer to those instruments with a natural scale of F as being "in F", and those with a natural scale of C as being "in C". This has nothing to do with their properties as transposing instruments, in which context they are all in C (because when you read a C, you sound a C).

natural scale of C; treble clef; (garklein, descant, tenor) natural scale of C; bass clef; (great bass) natural scale of F; treble clef; (sopranino, treble) natural scale of F; bass clef; (bass, contrabass) corresponding with four different fingering schemes. Recorder players are accustomed to this, and don't think of it as in any way complicated. From the perspective of modern woodwind, where the simple elegant 'transposing instrument' mechanism is fully developed, it looks a complete mess. It means that (for example) someone who has learned descant recorder can automatically finger tenor and (if they have small fingers) a garklein, but playing the others requires further training and practice. Similarly, if you have learned treble, then sopranino has the same fingering, but the others are different. In summary, while many recorders do transpose (at the octave), recorders do not take full advantage of the "transposing instrument mechanism". The trumpets The most usual trumpet is the one in B , though nowadays C-trumpets are becoming common in orchestras.

Nevertheless they have been built in quite a range of sizes. Of those listed here, the piccolo trumpet in A is likely to be a piccolo trumpet in B with a removable crook, and the bass trumpets are encountered only rarely. A note on nomenclature: Names of brass instruments are not entirely standardised, and in particular the usage in the USA can be different from the UK designations used here. In the convention used here, the saxhorns are: flugelhorn (= soprano saxhorn), tenor horn in E (= 'alto horn' in the USA), baritone horn in B ; the euphonium is a tenor tuba. Brass bands and orchestras Brass bands employ cornets, saxhorns of various sizes, trombones, and tubas. The most standard symphony orchestra will employ trumpets (covered above), trombones, and tubas. The convention for written music for trombones and tubas in these two ensembles is completely different: in brass bands the trombone and tubas are transposing instruments; in orchestras they are not.

[Images not shown to scale] Confusion alert: The natural harmonics of an instrument when no valves are employed (or when the slide is right in) sound as harmonics of B for trombone, and of F, E , and B for the various tubas included in the table. Players, even in the orchestral convention, will commonly refer to these as 'B trombone', 'tuba in F', 'tuba in E ', 'tuba in B '. In the brass band convention these designations describe their transposition attributes; in the orchestral convention they are descriptions of the natural harmonics, and have nothing to do with transposition, because in that case the instruments are all at concert pitch: when the player reads a C, the instrument (in an orchestra) sounds a C. A number of observations are in order. The military band (or concert band) convention for these instruments is the same as the orchestral, though, for example, Euphonium parts in the 'B treble' convention are sometimes provided as alternatives.

(And sometimes similarly trombone and tuba parts.) The transposing instrument convention in brass bands has a slightly different context from that of the woodwind, in that players do not quite so routinely double on different brass instruments. The British Brass Bands grew up in the 19th century, to a large extent in mining communities, in the context of a more general liberal movement to give the working man access to culture and education. Of course the average pit worker could not afford to buy an instrument and these tended to be owned by the band. A new recruit could try a few before finding the one he was most suited to, and established players could make a permanent move from one to another, for whatever reason. It was therefore extremely helpful that the fingering of the (usually) three valves on all instruments was the same for the same printed note. Tuba parts in the orchestral convention are written at concert pitch. The size of tuba to be employed is up to the player, who will be accustomed to different fingerings on different sizes of tuba, very much analogous to the case of recorders discussed above.

The 'sousaphone' is a tuba in B with its plumbing arranged in a shape which will go around the body of the player, to facilitate playing while marching. The orchestral strings For the most part the orchestral strings provide a complete contrast to the families of transposing instruments. Dating (in terms of a complete family) from a much earlier era, their written music convention uses clefs rather than transpositions to avoid leger lines. Violin uses treble clef, the viola the alto clef, and the cello the bass and tenor clefs. In each case the music is written at sounding pitch. The violin, viola, and cello form a family in exactly the same way as the woodwind families, simply being essentially the same instrument in different sizes. Each has four strings tuned in fifths, but with the lowest string being G below middle C, C one octave below middle C, and C two octaves below middle C.

Seen from the (perhaps heretical) viewpoint of the saxophonist (say) viola, and cello would be ideal candidates for being 'violins in F' and being notated on treble clef like a violin but sounding a fifth and a twelfth lower. But that is not the way that history went, and their peculiar (by comparison with woodwind families especially) use of clefs has chronological priority. It should also be observed that string players do not tend to double on different members of the family, and it may be that the different sizes of the instruments would be a large enough barrier to this, even if their reading conventions were the same. The double bass is different. A less modified member of an older family of viols, its strings are tuned in fourths. Its music is written one octave higher than it sounds, and so it is a transposing instrument. Like the contrabassoon discussed above, it remains an octave transposing instrument even if its music wanders into the tenor clef. Bass - Vocal music is shown at concert (ie sounding) pitch, with one exception.

In a 'short score' for vocal quartet, where soprano and alto parts are shown together on one staff, and tenor and baritone/bass are shown together on another, the tenor+baritone staff has a bass clef, and the tenor parts are written at sounding pitch, like all the others. However in an expanded score where each voice has its own staff the tenor part is usually written with a treble clef, and it sounds an octave lower than written. In this latter convention the tenor voice is a 'transposing instrument'. Sometimes a little 8 is drawn beneath the treble clef, as a reminder that this part is different - because of the transposition. Both conventions are included in the table on the right. Written music It can be seen from the instruments given above (and the list is far from exhaustive) that 'transposing instruments' are not in any way exceptional, but in many ways constitute the norm - especially for 'modern' instrument families. How is the transposition marked on printed music? On an instrumental part, the transposition is most usually marked at the top of the part in plain text - for example 'Alto Sax in E '.

If that part is to be played on another instrument for any reason, it is this label which tells you that it should be played to sound (in this case) a major 6th lower than written. On a full score, the instrument's stave will be labelled in the same way. The so-called 'octave clefs' (clefs with a little 8 above or below) provide an additional or alternative way of designating parts which transpose by an octave, up or down respectively. There is no way of designating other transpositions (apart, possibly, from 15ma) with this kind of notation, and it is not generally used today, except in two particular contexts: the tenor voice in vocal music (see above) and in early music consorts. In both cases the only transpositions of interest are octave transpositions. In music for recorder consort the little 8's are included by the clefs in some editions and not in others - they are completely optional.

They can be useful in cases where you wish to write the music down for an uncertain early music consort, where you don't want to label a certain part 'descant recorder', but do want to indicate that it is designed to sound an octave higher than written. That way when any given consort plays the music, it can do so with the parts in the correct relative octaves. Parts which change transposition part way through Parts can change transposition part way through. In some contexts it is commonplace. For example: Orchestral clarinet players use both B - and A-clarinets as a matter of course. Parts may switch from one to the other. Alto and baritone saxophone parts in a big band often involve doubling on clarinet or soprano sax introducing transposition changes from E to B TubeNet • View topic - Euphonium vs. Tenor tuba Euphonium vs. Tenor tuba What do you like better? Tenor Tuba The are both beautiful instruments 22 Euphonium vs.

Tenor tuba by tubahippie » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:24 pm What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba? I just play the tuba, not the tenor tuba, so I don't know. I do know that I love the euphonium. Can anyone shed some light? tubahippie by tubaguy9 » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:55 pm Honestly, I'm not really sure, but I've heard that the Tenor Tuba is a little bit larger... I think I might end up as a grumpy old man when I get old... Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:07 pm Location: I pitty da foo! by tubaguy9 » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:56 pm Honestly, I'm not really sure, but I've heard that the Tenor Tuba is a little bit larger... I think I might end up as a grumpy old man when I get old...

Joined: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:07 pm Location: I pitty da foo! by Donn » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:17 am tubahippie wrote: What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba? They're just names. For the same thing, loosely speaking. No one likes to speak loosely, because the language loses expressive value, but in this case there is no precise and clear cut distinction. So the name tells you more about the player than the instrument. Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:58 pm Location: Seattle, ☯ Top by iiipopes » Sat Dec 30, 2006 1:50 am The old style French C tuba, with its saxhorn construction, 6 valves so you can get all chromatics down to pedals, and bore and bell larger than a euph definitely qualifies as a tenor tuba which can also be considered, due to its tonality, a bass tuba, and was the original instrument for which Berlioz and others wrote what seem to be high tuba parts.

On a French C, they're right in the middle. "Bessophone" w/ 2-piece Imperial Blokepiece, Lexan 32.6 modified helleberg rim & modified .080 extender Selmer Signet 'glass souzy w/ Kelly 18 Fanned fret electric and bass guitars Top by finnbogi » Sat Dec 30, 2006 7:33 am In my mind, both a euphonium and a French C tuba would qualify as a tenor tuba, in the same way as an English 3+1 piston E flat tuba and a German rotary F tuba would both qualify as a bass tuba. Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 7:59 pm Location: Iceland by Rick Denney » Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:07 pm tubahippie wrote: What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba? I just play the tuba, not the tenor tuba, so I don't know. I do know that I love the euphonium. Can anyone shed some light?

The nomenclature is not standardized. I prefer to use "tenor tuba" as the general description of tuba-like instruments pitched in Bb or C in the same octave as trombones. There are a zillion terms for individual examples of these instruments, including "French C tuba", euphonium, baritone, baryton, tenorhorn (in some countries), and, yes, tenor tuba. Most who believe that a tenor tuba is a specialized term rather than a generic term have the Alexander 151 in mind. It is a large, rotary instrument in Bb that gets a different tone than, say, a Besson euphonium. But it's no different from a euphonium than an Alexander F tuba is from a Besson EEb, both of which are bass tubas. So, take your pick. It is likely, however, that you'll have to explain your meaning either directly or by context, so that people will know what you are talking about.

Rick "thinking euphoniumists apply much narrower meanings to terms than do tuba players" Denney by snorlax » Mon Jan 01, 2007 6:15 pm tubahippie wrote: What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba? I just play the tuba, not the tenor tuba, so I don't know. I do know that I love the euphonium. Can anyone shed some light? Mr. NoCal: A real TENOR TUBA has a bore approaching that of a real BBb or C tuba and is played with a tuba mouthpiece...BUT it has the tube length of a Bb euphonium or is one step higher in C. That combination of bore and length makes it unwieldy to play. I will see if I can find a pic of the 6-valve Mahillon Bb tenor tuba that I remember Morris Edwards used to play in the late 60s. Maybe someone here has a pic of that or a similar Mahillon. It's been around for a while. A euphonium has a much smaller bore than a real tenor tuba.

Jim by ThomasDodd » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:03 pm snorlax wrote: A real TENOR TUBA has a bore approaching that of a real BBb or C tuba and is played with a tuba mouthpiece...BUT it has the tube length of a Bb euphonium or is one step higher in C. That combination of bore and length makes it unwieldy to play. And what bore would that be? I.E. What's the bore of a REAL tuba? Lots of Euphs near .600" and I'll bet there are some around .625". And many tubas with .650"ish bores, including mine at .656" Last edited by ThomasDodd on Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:20 pm, edited 2 times in total. by Doc » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:59 pm Rick Denney wrote: tubahippie wrote: What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba?

I just play the tuba, not the tenor tuba, so I don't know. I do know that I love the euphonium. Can anyone shed some light? Most who believe that a tenor tuba is a specialized term rather than a generic term have the Alexander 151 in mind. It is a large, rotary instrument in Bb that gets a different tone than, say, a Besson euphonium. But it's no different from a euphonium than an Alexander F tuba is from a Besson EEb, both of which are bass tubas. That's me. Tenor tubas: Euphoniums: Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. Joined: Sat Sep 25, 2004 10:51 pm Location: Location: Location Top by windshieldbug » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:46 am I will submit that the term has much more to do with intended use than with subleties in construction. The euphonium is a brass band intrument, which may be further modified by the use of an even smaller bore baritone.

If intended for use with an orchestra, the sound usually belongs in the tenor tuba range, given that it is very unusual to score specifically for euphonium. I would also suggest also that is bore descriptive, but not always (French tubas in C and Conn double-belled euphoniums being obvious examples). Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. Once got the "hand" as a cue Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2005 5:41 pm Location: 8vb by Eupher6 » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:06 pm windshieldbug wrote: The euphonium is a brass band intrument... which may be further modified by the use of an even smaller bore baritone. If intended for use with an orchestra, the sound usually belongs in the tenor tuba range, given that it is very unusual to score specifically for euphonium. At the risk of picking nits, the euph isn't solely a brass band instrument any more. Jukka Myllys, David Gaines have recently written concerti for the euph and orchestra.

This link may have been posted already, if so, my apologies. But it does contain an enormous amount of information regarding the euph and orchestra, much more than I had originally thought. by tubiker » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:52 pm windshieldbug wrote: I will submit that the term has much more to do with intended use than with subleties in construction. The euphonium is a brass band intrument, which may be further modified by the use of an even smaller bore baritone. If intended for use with an orchestra, the sound usually belongs in the tenor tuba range, given that it is very unusual to score specifically for euphonium. I would also suggest also that is bore descriptive, but not always (French tubas in C and Conn double-belled euphoniums being obvious examples). In these parts a Euphonium is a Euphonium and a Baritone is a Baritone - confusion only sets in when we find an American (usually) published set of parts which have a Baritone part in the set. Then we play it on a Euph.

A Baritone stays in the Brass Band and doesn't get day release And if something says Tenor Tuba it means Euph At least that's the usual take on this one in the U.K. but I will of course stand corrected if I've got it wrong Andrew M Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2005 3:01 pm Location: lat=52.57 lon=1.12 by Rick Denney » Tue Jan 02, 2007 3:54 pm windshieldbug wrote: I will submit that the term has much more to do with intended use than with subleties in construction. So, what was Holst's intention in The Planets? The part is marked tenor tuba, but it's written in the treble clef just like a brass-band euphonium part. But I see your point. Holst was actually demonstrating the notion when he wrote "tenor tuba" in the part rather than "euphonium", even though, as Bevan says, there's little doubt as to the instrument he intended. He wrote tenor tuba precisely because it was an orchestral part and not a band part.

To address some other issues: I can't think of a tenor tuba that has a bore substantially bigger than modern euphoniums, when reported with the same consideration that is routinely applied to tuba comparisons. For example, nobody calls a Miraphone 186 a BAT, despite that its official bore is larger than a Yorkophone. Everyone expects rotary instruments to have a larger bore merely because the valves are a bit further along in the bugle. Thus, one would expect an Alex 151 to have a larger bore than, say, a Willson 2950, even though both are about the same size. And nobody expects, say, an Alex 163 BBb to sound like a Miraphone 186, even though most non-tuba-playing observers would be hard-pressed to note the differences from photos. Nobody looking at an Alexander 163 would expect it to sound like a Besson 99-whatever Bb bass. Those instruments are no more different than an Alex 151 and a Besson Sovereign euphonium.

We generally consider the differences between top-action, front-action, piston, and rotary configurations to be differences of varietal rather than species. In the genus Tuba and species Contrabass, valve type and arrangement (not to mention bore and bell size) are routinely described using plain adjectives. Such as: The Alexander 163 is a large-bore 4/4-5/4 rotary contrabass tuba. If we try to make top-action euphoniums a different species from rotary tenor tubas, we are giving ourselves an organological headache we don't need. I suspect a good player, with proper choice of mouthpiece and a specific commitment to a certain tonal concept, could make any decent, large euphonium sound similar enough to an Alex 151 so that the non-tuba-playing public would not note or care about the differences. It is true that an orchestral tuba player using a 151 for Bydlo will have a different tone concept than a brass-band euphonium player using a Willson 2950, but I think the major difference is behind the mouthpiece.

Thus, in the genus Tuba, there are tenor, bass, and contrabass species in common use. Each species is respresented by huge variety, just as homo Sapiens is represented both by tuba players and viola players, surely confounding even the broadest interpretation of the word species. Rick "quoting Tolkein: Sheep look different only to other sheep, or to shepherds" Denney by tubaguy9 » Sat Jan 13, 2007 1:04 am Donn wrote: tubahippie wrote: What's the difference between a euphonium and a tenor tuba? They're just names. For the same thing, loosely speaking. No one likes to speak loosely, because the language loses expressive value, but in this case there is no precise and clear cut distinction. So the name tells you more about the player than the instrument. So, what's it say about a person if they're Anal Retensive against the 'Euphonium' being called a 'Tenor Tuba'? I think I might end up as a grumpy old man when I get old...

Tuba and Euphonium Tuba and Euphonium For the August 1, 2000, Roseville Big Band concert, Carin Bratlie played tuba on several selections and Glen Newton played euphonium on several choruses of "Two O'Clock Jump". In this photo, Carin holds up and her tuba and Glen holds up his euphonium so the audience can see the similarities and differences. Tenor saxophonist Glen Peterson , in the middle, looks on approvingly. In case you couldn't tell from the photo, here's a rundown on the similarities and differences: Conical Brass. The tuba and euphonium are both members of the conical brass family, generally referred to as the "tuba family". In fact, the euphonium is often called a tenor tuba. Thus you may think of the tuba as being the big sister of the euphonium (or the euphonium being the little brother of the tuba), if you like to anthropomorphize musical instruments. Pitch and Tubing Length. Both of these instruments are pitched in B-flat. This means that the series of notes that can be played without using the valves starts on B-flat.

Since the tuba has twice the length of tubing as the euphonium, its fundamental (lowest) B-flat is an octave lower than that of the euphonium. The fingerings for the two instruments are the same, except for the octave difference. B-flat is the standard key for euphoniums in the United States, but tubas in other keys - especially C and E-flat - are common. Valves. Glen's euphonium has piston valves. Most euphoniums in the United States have piston valves. (Note that three valves are together, played with the right hand, and there's a fourth valve halfway down the left side, played with the left hand. An alternate configuration for a four-valve euphonium has all four valves together, to be played by the four fingers of the right hand.) In contrast, Carin's tuba has rotary valves. Both rotary and piston valves are common on tubas in the United States. Bell Location. When the instrument is being played, the bell on Glen's euphonium faces the right side, as seen by the player, and he puts his right hand through the middle of the instrument to reach the valves.

Some piston valve tubas, such as the one Glen is playing in this photo at Centennial Lakes Park, are made this way, as well. However, rotary valve tubas like Carin's and some piston valve tubas are made with the bell facing the left. To play it, Carin reaches her right hand around the right side of the tuba to the valve levers on the front, while her left hand helps support the instrument. Euphonium vs. Baritone. In many respects, the euphonium is the same as the baritone horns played in American wind bands (that is, bands that include both brass and woodwinds), such as the Roseville Community Band . The difference is a subtle one having to do with the diameter of the tubing (smaller on the baritone horn). The euphonium and baritone horn are pitched the same, co-exist in the same section of the wind band, and play the same music, with their players using the same technique.

In contrast, brass bands around the world, including the Lake Wobegon Brass Band and Salvation Army bands in the Twin Cities area and the Sheldon Theatre Brass Band in Red Wing, Minnesota, generally include the euphonium but not the American baritone horn. They use the euphonium as an ensemble member and a rich-sounding baritone-range solo instrument, with a smaller-bore instrument of the same pitch providing two harmony parts. Terminology for this other instrument varies throughout the world, but in the United States, outside of the brass band context, it is called the tenor horn or English-bore baritone to distinguish it from the American baritone horn played in wind bands. Within a brass band, this smaller-bore instrument is called a baritone horn. Glen sometimes plays his tenor horn as a solo instrument in Roseville Big Band concerts. Where Can I See Them? In the Twin Cities, the best opportunity to see a wide variety of tuba-family instruments is at the annual TubaChristmas concerts conducted by Carol Jensen . They've been held at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul in recent years.

Roseville Big Band director Glen Newton (alternating between tuba and euphonium) and former member Jim Foster (playing his euphonium) are frequent participants in these concerts.

Question: What is the alternative name for the Tenor Tuba?
Answer: EUPHONIUM